It is well known in the art that the function of a driving band in a projectile is to impart a spin and provide obturation while the projectile is in the bore of a gun. The driving band material is usually a copper alloy which deforms to take the profile of the lands and grooves of the given barrel. This thin layer is augmented with each projectile being fired until an unacceptable thickness is deposited on the inside of the barrel. Such a process of copper being deposited on the rifling of a gun is known as “coppering”.
Also known in the art are the following US patents and patent application which describe various devices for cleaning and/or lubricating cylinders, such as barrels of fire weapons and the like: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,814,525; 4,783,925; 4,873,778; 5,245,777; 5,628,136; 5,743,040; 5,815,975; 5,946,843; 5,974,611; 6,023,873; 6,378,236 B1; 6,389,978 B1; 6,591,732 B2; 6,668,480 B1; 6,701,657 B1; 6,701,658 B1; RE38,247 E; and 2004/0074523 A1.
It is also well known in the art that oxidizing foam has been effectively used in removing copper and propellant residue by filling the entire barrel with foam and waiting for the reaction to take place.
However, it is also known in the art that this method of copper removal also known as “decoppering” has several significant drawbacks when used in medium and large caliber guns. For example, it is well known that, for such applications, the foam effectiveness is substantially hindered as it collapses and tends to create voids, thus resulting in uneven removal of copper residue, which is undesirable for obvious reasons.
Hence, in light of the above-discussed, there is a need for an improved device and/or method which would be able to overcome some of the aforementioned prior art problems.